Artistic game apparatus



mummy May 16, 1961 s. w. KIRCHNER ARTISTIC GAME APPARATUS Filed June 9,1958 2 shets- -sheet 1 0 o o o o 0 o o o 0 o O o o o O 0 o o o o a 0 o ao 0 0 o 0 e o o o o o o o 0 o o o o 0 o o o o a o o e e o o 0 o o o a oe O o o o o 0 o o o o 0 o o e o o o O o o o o o o O o o 0 o e o o o o ao o o 0 o o o o o 0 o o 0 0 o o e o o a D o e o o 0 o 0 e o o o o a a oo o o o o o 0 o o o o o o o o o 0 o o a a o o o o o o g o o o o a o e o0 0 o o e o o e 0 o 0 o 9 0 0 o 9 o o o o o 0 e o o o o o o e o o 0 o oo 0 Q: 0 o o 0 a o 0 0 o--'- ZI o o e o o o o o o o o o o O o o o o o oo o o a 0 0 o 0 0 e 6 O o O o o o 0 e o o o o o o o o o a o o o o o o oo 0 o 0 o 0 o o o 0 o o o o o o o 0 Q o o o o o o a o o o 0 o a o o o oo e o 0 o o 0 0 o o 0 o o o 0 o a a o 0 o o o o o o 0 o 6 o o 0 o 0 0 0o O o o o o O o o o 0 0 a o o o 0 a 0 o o O o o 0 0 e 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 O oO 0 O 0 0 O O 0 O 0 O O 0 O O O 0 o 0 0 jo e a 0 o o 0 o o o 0 o o o o oo o o 0 o o O o e o o o o o o o O 0 0 O 0 O 0 0 0 0 0 0 O 0 0 0 0 O O 0O O O 0 O 0 0 O 0 0 0 0 o 0 0 O O 0 0 0 0 0 o o 0 0 0 0 0 o O 0 o o 0 ao 0 O 0 o O o o o o o c 0 o 0 e o o 0 o o o o o o o o 0 o o o o 0 o o oo o o o o 0 o o 0 0 a o o o o o 0 o o o o o o o o O 0 o o o o o o o o oo o o 0 o 0 0 o o o o o o o o e o o O o o 0 o e 0 0 O o 0 e o 0 o o 0 oa o o o o 0 e o o 0 o o 0 o o o 0 0 0 o O O O o 0 o o o e o O O o 0 o o0 0 o o o o o o 0 o O o o o o o o o o o 0 o o o o o o O 0 O 0 6 o 0 o oo o 0 o O o 0 O 0 0 O O O o O o 0 o 0 H6 0 o o o 0 Q/ 0 O o o o o o o oo 0 0 0 O O 0 O 0 O O 0 0 O O O 0 0 O O O O O 0 0 0 O O 0 0 O O O O O 00 0 0 0 0 O 0 O 0 O 0 O o o o o o O O O O O O 0 O 0 O O O O O 0 O O O OO 0 0 G O O O O 0 O 0 6 O 0 O O 0 Q 0 O 0 O 0 O 0 0 O O 0 O O O 0 O O oo o 000 o 000 000 INVENTOR O 0 O O O O BY ATTORNEY y 16, 1961 s. w.KIRCHNER 2,984,488

ARTISTIC GAME APPARATUS Filed June 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR .572/4 14 m AIAZI/A/E/F,

ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTISTIC GAME APPARATUS Stewart W.Kirchner, Furth, Bavaria, Germany (1150 Chestnut St., Menlo Park,Calif.)

Filed June 9, 1958, Ser. No. 740,900

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-157) This invention relates to games or amusementdevices, suitable for children, patients confined to beds or wheelchairs, and others seeking entertainment but unable to obtain partnersor playmates and hence forced to depend.

upon their own activities.

In general, the game or amusement device of my invention employs aperforated board in which pegs or pins may be inserted, an overlayconsisting of a sheet having holes punched therein so as to form adesign or picture, said holes receiving the pegs or pins and theimperforate portions of the sheet overlying the board to conceal theholes not useful for the design, and a multiplicity of elastic or rubberbands, preferably of different lengths and colors, manually placed overand around the pegs or pins that project through the overlay and thusforming, on top of the overlay, a design or picture which is completedonly when all the pegs or pins are properly joined by the stretchedelastic bands. The overlay is one of a series I have designed to showdifferent pictures or scenes which the user of the apparatus himselfcreates by properly placing the elastic bands. As the playing of thegame utilizes a measure of skill and also art sense, I have named mygame Elastic Art and intend to protect that name by appropriate stepstaken under the trademark statutes of the United States.

The invention has as a principal object the provision of improved gameapparatus, played or used by one person, and designed to entertain andamuse in a unique manner by requiring the player himself to build apicture, scene or design out of elastic bands placed around pins. Thegame of my invention has a pronounced surprise element and hence arousescuriosity, since the finished scene cannot be imagined until it has beenalmost completed by assembling the elastic bands. Also the employment ofelastic bands of different colors, as is preferred, adds to the artisticresult. Another object is the provision of game apparatus which issimple and easy to manufacture and hence may be sold for a reasonableprice and yet yield a profit to all concerned. Another object is theprovision of game apparatus having additional sales appeal (from theretailers standpoint) in that new overlay sheets may be offered to thepublic from time to time, arousing new interest in game apparatusalready purchased. Other objects will be understood from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention, including oneoverlay sheet (exemplifying the many that may be designed), shown in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the game board per se;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the overlay sheets;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the complete picture created by placing theoverlay sheet of Fig. 2 over the game g gd f Fig. 1, and properlyassembling the pins and an s;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, omitting the bands anddistant parts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the pins;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of one of the elastic bands.

ice

Referring particularly to the drawings, the apparatus of my inventionincludes a game board 10, which may be of wood, plastic, or othersuitable material, flat on its bottom and top, and of sufficientdimensions to provide a substantial area on which to form a picture,scene or design. The illustrative board 10 is rectangular, but this isnot essential, as oval or circular or other shapes of boards could beused. The board 10 is pierced by a large number of perforations 11arranged in straight rows, or in some cases the perforations could be incurved or circular rows. In the present example, there are 682perforations 11, but there may be many more or many less. The greaterthe number of perforations, the more complex the design or picture maybe. For young children, therefore, a small board with relatively fewholes may be made. The perforations are shown as extending entirelythrough the board, and this is preferred, as the holes then will notbecome clogged with lint, paper particles, tobacco crumbs or otherdebris; however, the holes could extend only partly through the board.

For superposition on board 10, a series of overlay sheets are provided,one of which is shown at 15. Each overlay sheet is of the same or aboutthe same size as the game board. Sheet 15 may be of stiff paper or lightcardboard or thin plastic and if preferred it may have a trademark,directions for use, a copyright notice, or other legends or insigniaimprinted or lithographed on its upper surface. Sheet 15 incorporates adesign or picture made by punching a series of holes 16 through it. Theuser or player lays sheet 15 over the game board 10, as shown in Fig. 4,and then inserts pegs or pins 20 having enlarged heads (Fig. 5) throughall the holes 16 into the perforations 11. The pins are held in place byfriction. Finally, the user completes the design or picture bystretching elastic bands 25 (one of which is shown in Fig. 6) around andbetween the heads of the pins 20. These elastic bands are preferably ofseveral (at least three) different lengths and of several colors, e.g.,red, yellow, blue, green, black and white. The larger the assortment ofcolors, the greater the opportunity for an artistic result.

Referring to Fig. 3, it is fairly clear that the completed picture showsa house 30 having four windows 31, a door 32, a dormer window 33, achimney 34 with smoke 35, shrubs 36, 37 in the yard, a small tree 38near the house, and a large tree 39 away from the house. A futuristicdesign of airplane 40 zooms overhead. Such a picture could be made withthe house outlined with red bands and having white windows and door,with blue smoke issuing from the chimney. The trees would be outlinedwith green bands while the shrubs could be of almost any color or colorcombination. The airplane might be black, it appearing to be a pursuitplane suitable for night flying.

Another of my designs for an overlay shows a sailboat rocking on largeblue waves, with a pennant flying from its mast, water birds circlingoverhead, and large fancifully colored fish in the water below. Theoverlay need not be directed to natural scenes as abstract designs orgeometrical designs could be incorporated.

In order to stimulate interest in the game, the manufacturer ordistributor may offer prizes for the most artistic scene or the mostunusual design created from the elements of the apparatus. Thuswidespread publicity may be obtained and sales may be stimulated.

Having described one form of my invention, without limiting myselfthereto, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A puzzle apparatus capable of making artistic and interesting picturesand designs according to a concealed plan comprising, in combination, aflat board having on 3, its upper faeea multiplicity of pinreceivingholes; a flexible sheet adapted to overlie said board, said sheet havinga multiplicity of perforations forming an illegible picture ,or;designabut aotherwise being irnperforate and opaque and concealinggtheboard; all.said holesand." 5

perforations being; of the same; size; a multiplicity of manuallyinsertable and removable pins, each of said pins;

being adapted to pass through a selected perforation in the overlaysheet andinto the board beneath, being'then held frictiona-Ily by thehole into which it has been thrust and projecting upwardly from theupper surface of the 4 sheet; and a multiplicity of elastic bandsadapted to be manually stretched between and around the projectingportions of the pins so as to make legible the illegible picture ordesign of the overlay sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,463,270 Hirsch Mar. 1, 1949 2.545.409 McCall Mar. 13, 1951 2,871,619Walters Feb. 3, 1959

